AThe Hessian Ministry of Science has been tight-lipped for weeks about the progress of negotiations on a future contract for the privatized university hospital in Gießen and Marburg: “The parties involved are in intensive and constructive talks.” Nothing can be read from this answer. But it could also be frostier.
Because after the threat of the negotiating partner Rhön-Klinikum AG to terminate the previous agreement between the UKGM clinic, the state of Hesse and the universities in Gießen and Marburg at the end of June, Minister Angela Dorn (The Greens) was irritated at the beginning of May . She rated the reserve decision of the Rhön-Klinikum as “not confidence-inspiring”. That said, inflation and ongoing supply chain issues also provide ample grounds for disagreement. The hospital reform plans of the Federal Minister of Health are added to this.
The Rhön board of directors pushed ahead in May for a specific reason: he sees disadvantages for the company if there is no deal before the end of the month. In this case, existing rules that do not give the majority owner enough room for maneuver from their own point of view would be automatically extended. The third largest German university hospital is not allowed to transfer any profits to Rhön AG, which is unusual for subsidiaries of listed companies. In addition, there is a ban on redundancies for operational reasons and the outsourcing of parts of the company. Since its privatization in February 2006, the group has held exactly 95 percent of the shares in the previously merged hospital, with the rest being owned by the state.
Best possible patient care
Both shareholders are committed to a good future for the UKGM and its staff and to the best possible patient care. They presented the same in January when they presented a declaration of intent for further financing. According to this, the state wants to invest a total of 490 million euros in the nation’s only privatized university hospital over the next ten years. So far, only a good eight million euros have flowed to Gießen and Marburg for equipment and structural projects.
This has led to an investment backlog in the hundreds of millions. According to a complaint from the management, the clinic could only afford normal medical technology such as ultrasound equipment with great difficulty. Several new buildings have been built at both locations since the sale to Rhön, including the central clinic and the children’s clinic in Giessen. However, the UKGM financed these projects with loans from the Rhön-Klinikum. As a result, it has to pay almost 40 million euros in interest and repayment every year – and still make regular profits. No other university hospital in this country can do the latter. In the meantime, however, the majority owner has offered equity capital of 22 million euros for investments.
